1964 Chevy C10 - C-10 Crossmember Cure-All

If you've ever owned a '63-87 Chevy/GMC 1/2-ton, then you know what a headache the stock front crossmember can be if you want to get your truck low. Sure, dropped spindles and springs will easily afford a lowered stance, but if you want to go more than a few inches-which is all you get before that low-slung chunk of metal that holds the control arms in place starts getting closer and closer to the pavement-then you need to start thinking about adding air springs. But even with the addition of 'bags and tubular control arms, there's still a lot of stuff hanging below the framerails. When your truck's just sittin' still, lookin' pretty, that's OK-but not when you're maneuvering around town.

After spending some time perfecting everything, Nathan Porter's Porterbuilt Street Rods in Mesa, Arizona, came up with the perfect solution for the problematic '63-87 C-10s: The Dropmember IFS. Available in two versions-the standard kit, which uses either stock or Air Ride Technologies' Strong Arms, and the Dropmember C4, which, as the name suggests, utilizes Corvette C4 components-Porterbuilt's system is currently the only alternative to Z'ing the frame or sectioning the stock crossmember in order to achieve sufficient clearance between the control arms and the ground. Both Dropmember kits eliminate the stock steering box and linkage, replacing them with a high-performance rack-and-pinion unit. Using Strong Arms is recommended, but for those who want to retain the stock control arms, they will require modifications to accept airbags (the '63-72 lowers will require slight modification for mounting to the Dropmember). Porterbuilt altered the stock suspension geometry (including narrowing the track width by 2 inches) to achieve better handling characteristics, so you not only get the look, you also get the performance. By using the standard Dropmember along with 3-inch dropped spindles, you can put the framerails on the ground with a 29-inch-tall tire. The basic kit includes the fully welded Dropmember, inner framerail plates, control arm/'bag mounts, rack-and-pinion mounting bushings, and all the necessary hardware (a complete kit also includes Strong Arms, 'bags, shocks, and rack-and-pinion).

The step up-or down, rather-is the Dropmember C4, designed to offer the same clearance advantages as the standard kit, but outfitted with Corvette suspension and steering instead. The C4 system can be used with either Air Ride Technologies' ShockWaves or a standard-type coilover unit, and is available in two ride height configurations: 4-5 or 5-6 inches. The 4-5 ride height will allow the frame to set on the ground when combined with a ShockWave and a 27-inch-diameter tire; the 5-6 will allow the frame to set 1 inch off the ground with the same setup. Porterbuilt produced the Dropmember C4 with the performance enthusiast in mind.

Neither of the Dropmember systems are simple bolt-ins; while there's not a lot of major fabrication involved other than notching your 'rails (they've done most of the hard stuff for you), there is a lot of work involved, especially with a complete truck that's already on the road. We got a chance to see Nathan and the crew at Porterbuilt equip a '64 C-10 with a standard Dropmember/Strong Arm kit. Follow along and see if you're up to the task-otherwise, give Porterbuilt a call...they'd be more than happy to do it for you!